Branding of Global Sports
By Keeny A Ali

Branding globally is of course a much more complex activity than operating in a local market. In order to be successful, global sports marketing strategists need to take into consideration differences in the local consumer culture in comparison with the original market. In the sports business the situation may be more complex, because most of the brands (such as clubs and franchises) are supported by local identification. In order to avoid the risk of losing local support for the brand in exchange for global support, most teams have decided to brand their clubs at different types of levels: locally, nationally, and globally.

A successful marketing plan should be customized for each specific area. For example, because of the significant differences between Asia and Europe, marketing plans need to be very different in the two areas. In order to promote a brand in multiple areas it is important to take into account all of the steps of the process. The pricing may need to be different because the perceived value of a product or a brand may not be the same in dissimilar markets. Targeting might be uncommon in certain areas, and the target of a brand may not be similar all around the world. Moreover, the distribution and logistics of a brand need to be tailored to different areas. Of course, one of the most important operations in the globalization process of a brand is advertising. Different campaigns need to be formulated in order to attract new consumers overseas; to be effective this process needs to consider different cultures and values.

Media and Other Promotion

New media have played a key role in the global branding process. New technologies have made it easier to market sport brands and products globally. It has become easier and cheaper to promote a brand utilizing new technologies. For example, one may now promote a brand on Websites or spread information about a brand through other online operations, such as broadcast, narrowcast, or podcast.

Using these new opportunities, brand managers have been able to reduce dependency on traditional advertising. They also have the opportunity to use multiple channels such as product placement, sponsorship, and events marketing to attract new consumers and sustain interest in the brand.

Marketing via Sports

As an indirect consequence of globalization and the increase of trade in different countries, several new opportunities for sponsors have arisen. For example, there is the possibility of reaching a vast number of sports consumers around the world, even in places where a certain sport may have no tradition or heritage. At the same time, foreign sponsors may start to appear for local leagues. Overall, global sponsorship can be used as a sustainable competitive advantage.

Conclusion

The promotion of a brand worldwide is an important operation that involves many variables. In order to succeed, marketers need to account for a wide variety of cultural and social aspects. However, the presence of new technologies has assisted greatly in the branding of new products and the spread of brand awareness all over the world.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Keeny_A_Ali/1202117
http://EzineArticles.com/?Branding-of-Global-Sports&id=6626023